A deed for a sale of land and improvements dated March 1, 1698, is the earliest evidence of buildings constructed in present-day Cranbury. A home in Cranbury was used by Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette as a headquarters during the American Revolutionary War, and they were visited by General George Washington on June 26, 1778. As part of orders issued during the Presidency of George Washington, maps of Cranbury were made showing the presence of a church, a mill and 25 other buildings. During its earliest years, the location was usually spelled as "Cranberry". Rev. Joseph G. Symmes argued in 1857 that the name was spelled improperly and that the suffix "bury" was more appropriate, leading the name of the community and brook to be changed to "Cranbury" in 1869.[20]

Many buildings on Cranbury's Main Street and in the surrounding area date to the 18th or 19th century. The entire downtown area is designated as a Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as District #80002502.[25]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 13.397 square miles (34.697 km2), including 13.247 square miles (34.309 km2) of land and 0.150 square miles (0.389 km2) of water (1.12%).[1][2]

Cranbury CDP (2010 Census population of 2,181[26]) is a unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) located within Cranbury Township.[27][28] Despite the match between the name of the Township and the CDP, the two are not one and the same, as was the case for most paired Township / CDP combinations (i.e., a CDP with the same as its parent township) before the 2010 Census, when most such paired CDPs were coextensive with a township of the same name.[27]

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Brain Grove Lake, Cranbury Station, Wescott and Wyckoffs Mills.[29]

There were 1,320 households, of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.3% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.21.[8]

In the township, 27.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 15.1% from 25 to 44, 35.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.2 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.[8]

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $131,667 (with a margin of error of +/- $21,076) and the median family income was $146,250 (+/- $24,045). Males had a median income of $122,566 (+/- $25,917) versus $60,781 (+/- $22,066) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $55,236 (+/- $5,718). About 3.1% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 0.0% of those age 65 or over.[38]

There were 1,091 households out of which 46.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.6% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.31.[36][37]

In the township the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.[36][37]

The median income for a household in the township was $111,680, and the median income for a family was $128,410. Males had a median income of $94,683 versus $44,167 for females. The per capita income for the township was $50,698. About 0.7% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 0.9% of those age 65 or over.[36][37]

Cranbury Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.[6][39] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor. In 1990, the Cranbury Township Committee was expanded from three to five members and the position of Township Administrator by ordinance.[3]

As of 2015[update], members of the Cranbury Township Committee are Mayor James Taylor (Democrat, term of office on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2015), David Cook (D, 2015), Susan J. Goetz (D, 2017), Glenn R. Johnson (D, 2016), Daniel P. Mulligan, III (R, 2016).[3][40][41][42][43]

On November 8, 2011, Susan Goetz was elected to fill the Committee seat vacated by Winthrop Cody.[44]

Middlesex County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose seven members are elected at-large on a partisan basis to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in January, the board selects from among its members a Freeholder Director and Deputy Director. As of 2015[update], Middlesex County's Freeholders (with party affiliation, term-end year, residence and committee chairmanship listed in parentheses) are Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios (D, term ends December 31, 2015, Carteret; Ex-officio on all committees),[56] Freeholder Deputy Director Carol Barrett Bellante (D, 2017; Monmouth Junction, South Brunswick Township; County Administration),[57] Kenneth Armwood (D, 2016, Piscataway; Business Development and Education),[58] Charles Kenny ( D, 2016, Woodbridge Township; Finance),[59] H. James Polos (D, 2015, Highland Park; Public Safety and Health),[60] Charles E. Tomaro (D, 2017, Edison; Infrastructure Management)[61] and Blanquita B. Valenti (D, 2016, New Brunswick; Community Services).[62][63] Constitutional officers are County Clerk Elaine M. Flynn (D, Old Bridge Township),[64] Sheriff Mildred S. Scott (D, 2016, Piscataway)[65] and Surrogate Kevin J. Hoagland (D, 2017; New Brunswick).[63][66]

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 2,768 registered voters in Cranbury Township, of which 836 (30.2%) were registered as Democrats, 684 (24.7%) were registered as Republicans and 1,246 (45.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered to other parties.[67]

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 52.0% of the vote (1,076 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 46.9% (971 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (22 votes), among the 2,082 ballots cast by the township's 2,839 registered voters (13 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 73.3%.[68][69] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 53.0% of the vote (1,153 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 45.3% (986 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (29 votes), among the 2,176 ballots cast by the township's 2,777 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.4%.[70] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 50.8% of the vote (1,044 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 48.0% (987 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (23 votes), among the 2,055 ballots cast by the township's 2,510 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 81.9.[71]

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.1% of the vote (941 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.3% (439 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (22 votes), among the 1,421 ballots cast by the township's 2,850 registered voters (19 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.9%.[72][73] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 54.6% of the vote (901 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 35.5% (585 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.7% (144 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (11 votes), among the 1,649 ballots cast by the township's 2,711 registered voters, yielding a 60.8% turnout.[74]

The Cranbury School District serves children in public school for Kindergarten through eighth grade at Cranbury School. As of the 2012-13 school year, the district's one school had an enrollment of 543 students and 55.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.86:1.[75] For the 1996-97 and 2009-10 school years, Cranbury School was formally designated as a National Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor that an American public school can achieve.[76] During the 2009-10 school year, Cranbury School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence a second time.[77]

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority widened the Turnpike (with the "dual-dual" setup) between Exit 6 in Mansfield Township and Exit 8A in Monroe Township in late 2014. New entrance and exit ramps were constructed to access the service area.[85]

Cranbury is host to many warehouses along Route 130 and the roads leading to the NJ Turnpike. A company making the Boy Scout Pinewood Derby cars is also here. Cranbury was noted for a used Rolls-Royce dealership located in the center of town, but it has gone out of business. The alternative energy business Blacklight Power, which occupies a building formerly occupied by Creative Playthings, is in fact located in East Windsor, in an area served by the Cranbury Post Office.

Jan Morris (born 1926), Welsh travel writer and historian, lived in Cranbury for several months in the 1950s whose impressions of the town are recorded in the book Coast to Coast: A Journey Across 1950s America.[91]

^ abcdCheslow, Jerry. "Historic, Sparsely Settled -- and Loving It", The New York Times, March 16, 1997. Accessed July 14, 2011. "The Middlesex County community is celebrating the 300th anniversary of the first documented European settlement in the area.... Cranbury pays tuition to send 106 high school students to nearby Princeton High School. According to Cranbury's Chief School Administrator, Robert J. Bartoletti, 87 percent of the town's youngsters go on to higher education.... As part of the addition, the 28,000-volume Cranbury Public Library, which shares space with the school library, is also being expanded to 6,000 square feet from 4,000 and the school's computers are to be enhanced through the networking of all of the classrooms into the library."

^Staff. "Local election results for Cranbury, Jamesburg and Monroe", The Cranbury Press, November 8, 2011. Accessed November 9, 2011. "There was one open seat on Cranbury Township Committee, and the candidates were Republican Karen Callahan and Democrat Susan Goetz. Ms. Callahan received 518 votes and Ms. Goetz received 574."

^Princeton Regional High School 2014 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 15, 2015. "The Princeton Public Schools are committed to preparing every child to change the world. That change may come in the form of art or music, science or technology, political action or social justice. As we strive to serve the more than 3500 students from the Princeton and Cranbury communities, we do so knowing that our work with them in the classroom, on the athletic field, and on the stage matters deeply to each one and to the larger society into which they will graduate."

^Capuzzo, Jill P. "Cranbury, N.J.: One Town, Many Personalities", The New York Times, February 25, 2014. Accessed November 2, 2014. "About 545 students in prekindergarten through Grade 8 attend Cranbury School, which has twice been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. For grades 9 to 12, they move on to Princeton High School, where there are 1,445 students."

^Konick, Emery Jr. "Women's sports at center court", Home News Tribune, August 17, 2004. Accessed July 14, 2011. "Melanie Balcomb of Cranbury is the head women's basketball coach at Vanderbilt and one of the most successful young women's coaches in the nation."

^Raynor, Vivien. "ART REVIEW;A Painter's Evolution, Visual and Political", The New York Times, November 12, 1995. Accessed July 5, 2012. "HUGHIE LEE-SMITH was born in Florida and schooled in Ohio and Michigan, notably at the Cleveland Institute of Art and Wayne State University in Detroit. He is nonetheless a New Jersey artist, and not just because of the many years he has lived in Cranbury."

^Morris, Jan. "Once upon a time in America", Financial Times, May 9, 2008. Accessed August 27, 2008. "When I was resident in Cranbury more than half a century ago, it was a rustic haven in flat farmland country, with the remains of slave shacks, an 18th century inn, proud memories of the revolutionary war and a firehouse where firemen chewed the cud on kitchen chairs on the sidewalk outside, exchanging bucolic prejudices."